Surgical drains are used post-surgery to remove fluid (blood, pus, etc.) from wound sites. Unfortunately, surgical drain tubes can become trapped or “retained” inside the wound when the wound is being closed. Drain tube retention can occur when a needle and suture used for wound closure penetrate through the wall of the drain tube. This can result in the drain tube being sewn to the tissue. Drain tube retention can also occur when the suture “lassos” around the drain tube, or where the suture is tightly knotted in such a manner that the suture constricts or impinges upon the drain tube, trapping the drain tube in the wound.
Retained drain tubes can be very difficult or impossible to remove from the wound without breaking the drain tube. When the retained drain tube is pulled forcefully, the drain tube can break, frequently at the location of the sutures, leaving one or more fragments of the tube inside the patient. This can result in the patient having to return to the operating room to have the tube fragment(s) removed. Or, it may be determined that the safest course is to allow the fragment(s) of tube to remain in place, in which case it can, nonetheless, cause a foreign body reaction or be a nidus for infection. Therefore, there is a need for improved apparatuses, systems and methods for inserting surgical drains that reduce or eliminate the occurrence of drain tube retention.